Life lessons of a subway rider

By Sharon Worsley » For the last three years I have been one of the thousands of commuters slugging their way to work and back home on a daily basis. Being part of this mixed crowd of ethnicity, age, socio economic status and about a million other elements that define and divide us, I have become accustomed to passing my time people-watching. In the beginning I was fascinated by what people did and how they reacted, until I started to notice a parallel of how the people were acting around me on the subway and how people acted in life at large. Rushing the door. The one act I seem to get the most giggle over is when the doors of the subway car are about to close and the bell/buzzer sounds, yet people who are a significant distance away absolutely ‘floor it’ to rush the door. Very few, in my experience, make their way successfully through without being caught by the jaws of the door. Is anyone that much in a rush to get to work that they have to contemplate running the 30 yard dash towards a heap of metal, possibly running down bystanders on the way, only to go crashing into doors closing and not getting on the train despite their earnest endeavour to do so? Maybe this is indicative of how they are living their life. Perhaps on that day this individual had slept in, not been ready in time for work and was now running late in fear of what the boss would say? Surely most bosses understand if you are late the odd time due to public transportation delays? But what if this person is chronically late and this is a day like most other days? Chances are, being late to work isn’t the only time they are late or are ill prepared. An interesting concept is ‘the way you are anywhere is the way you are everywhere’. What if this is so? Are we in so much of a hurry to get somewhere because we have not taken the time and preparation to get there in a more relaxed manner? How many times do you or someone you know procrastinate, leaving something important to the very last minute, only to then become stressed out in meeting an impending deadline? You don’t have to be a subway rider to experience putting off what needs to be done until it then becomes a desperate race against time. Where in your life are you ‘rushing the door’ right now? Have you even taken the time to calculate the cost of being this way? I am a very versatile transit commuter in that I switch from subway to streetcar whenever it suits my whim or convenience. Lately I have been going to work each morning via streetcar and taking the subway home at night. Some time ago, I found that the journey in the morning is much more pleasant when I can get a seat all the way to work and be above ground enjoying the weather and passing various sights. Interestingly though, people have commented to me that they just use the same route each and every day no matter what. It caused me to think of how many of us get into a rut and that unless something is ‘broken’, we don’t necessarily look for a better or different way of doing things. Take a look at the daily or weekly habits you have accumulated over time to see if there is some way of making a small change that would freshen up your life a little. What would be possible, what could you create? While I have been travelling on the streetcar, instead of the subway, I have picked up on a few more life lessons while observing my fellow travellers. One that stands out the most is when the doors of the streetcar open to let in the stream of people waiting to board the vehicle. It’s only after they board that some people pull out their wallet or dig deep in their handbag searching for their money, monthly pass or token, holding everyone else behind them. The more interesting part is that I see the same people day in and day out doing the same thing over and over. Surely they realize that if they were a little more prepared with their payment they would not keep people waiting and would probably give themselves less stress. Now that we are in the middle of winter, people do not enjoy having to wait behind some ill prepared fellow traveller while they stand out in the cold. I find this a good analogy for other areas of our life where we or someone around us cause discomfort to others due to our procrastination, especially in areas where we are required to do the same things on an ongoing basis. Where are you causing discomfort in the lives of those around you due to your lack of planning and preparation? How might your life be improved by being more proactive in your interaction with others? If you were to take the time to watch the people around you, what might you learn about human nature and yourself? • Sharon Worsley, CEO of Live With Intent, is a personal leadership coach and motivational speaker. Her signature keynote ‘Live By Choice, Not By Chance’ assists individuals and organizations to become clear on how they can ensure the quality of their life or organization. She can be reached at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it